Display apparatus and method of fabricating display apparatus

Abstract

A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a display panel having a display portion in a display region, a connecting portion, and a bending portion; a cover window on a first side of the display portion; a support layer between the display portion and the connecting portion; a first back film covering a back surface of the connecting portion, the first back film on a side of the connecting portion closer to the display portion; a metal plate between the support layer and the display portion; a second back film covering a surface of the display portion facing the connecting portion; and a metal support layer between the metal plate and the second back film. The bending portion connects the display portion and the connecting portion. The display apparatus includes a stress-reducing space. The stress-reducing space is open to the bending cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A display apparatus, comprising:
 a display panel having a display portion in a display region, a connecting portion, and a bending portion;   a cover window on a first side of the display portion;   a support layer between the display portion and the connecting portion;   a first back film covering a back surface of the connecting portion, the first back film on a side of the connecting portion closer to the display portion;   a metal plate between the support layer and the display portion;   a second back film covering a surface of the display portion facing the connecting portion; and   a metal support layer between the metal plate and the second back film;   wherein the bending portion connects the display portion and the connecting portion, wherein the bending portion is bent so that the connecting portion is facing a second side of the display portion, forming a bending cavity that is surrounded by the bending portion, the second side being opposite to the first side;   the display apparatus comprises a stress-reducing space having a first side wall comprising a first exposed surface of a first exposed portion of the first back film, a second side wall comprising a second exposed surface of a second exposed portion of the metal plate, and a third side wall comprising a first surface of the support layer; and   the stress-reducing space is open to the bending cavity;   wherein an orthographic projection of the connecting portion on the cover window is non-overlapping with an orthographic projection of the bending portion on the cover window;   the display apparatus comprises a stacked structure in the display region, the stacked structure comprising the first back film, the stress-reducing space, the support layer, the metal plate, the metal support layer, and the second back film;   in at least a first portion of the stacked structure, the first back film, the stress-reducing space, the metal plate, the metal support layer, and the second back film are present, and the support layer is absent;   in at least a second portion of the stacked structure, the first back film, the support layer, the metal plate, the metal support layer, and the second back film are present, and the stress-reducing space is absent;   the connecting portion and the display portion are on opposite sides of the stacked structure; and   the stress-reducing space is adjacent to the bending portion.   
     
     
         2 . The display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a first boundary between the bending portion and the connecting portion is along a first edge of the first back film; and
 the bending portion is absent of the first back film.   
     
     
         3 . The display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a second boundary between the bending portion and the display portion is along a second edge of the second back film; and
 the bending portion is absent of the second back film.   
     
     
         4 . The display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cover window is on a side of the display portion away from the support layer; and
 an orthographic projection of the first back film on the cover window covers an orthographic projection of the support layer on the cover window by a first margin having a first width greater than zero along a direction from the support layer to the bending portion.   
     
     
         5 . The display apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the first width is in a range of 200 μm to 500 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The display apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first adhesive layer attaching the support layer to the first back film; and   a second adhesive layer attaching the support layer to the metal plate;   wherein the third side wall further comprises a second surface of the first adhesive layer and a third surface of the second adhesive layer.   
     
     
         7 . The display apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first adhesive layer attaching the support layer to the first back film; and   a second adhesive layer attaching the support layer to the metal plate;   wherein the stress-reducing space extends into a gap between the first back film and the support layer, the first adhesive layer being absent in the gap.   
     
     
         8 . The display apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the third side wall further comprises a second surface of the first adhesive layer, a third surface of the second adhesive layer, and a third exposed surface of a third exposed portion of the support layer. 
     
     
         9 . The display apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the third side wall is a step wall;
 the third exposed surface is substantially parallel to the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface;   the second surface of the first adhesive layer, the first surface of the support layer, and the third surface of the second adhesive layer are respectively substantially perpendicular to the first exposed surface, the second exposed surface, and the third exposed surface; and   the third exposed surface connects the first surface of the support layer and the second surface of the first adhesive layer.   
     
     
         10 . The display apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the cover window is on a side of the display portion away from the support layer; and
 an orthographic projection of the second adhesive layer on the cover window covers an orthographic projection of the first adhesive layer on the cover window by a second margin having a second width greater than zero along a direction from the support layer to the bending portion.   
     
     
         11 . The display apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the second width is in a range of 500 μm to 1000 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The display apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a flexible base substrate extending throughout the display portion, the bending portion and the connecting portion as a unitary structure;
 wherein the bending cavity is partially surrounded by a part of the flexible base substrate in the bending portion; and   a virtual boundary through which the stress-reducing space and the bending cavity open to each other is defined by a plane crossing over a first edge of the first back film abutting the bending portion.   
     
     
         13 . The display apparatus of  claim 12 , comprising a signal line layer extends from the bending portion into the connecting portion;
 wherein a part of the signal line layer in the bending portion is on a side of the flexible base substrate away from the bending cavity; and   a part of the signal line layer in the connecting portion is on a side of the flexible base substrate away from the first back film.   
     
     
         14 . The display apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising an overcoat layer in the bending portion and on a side of the signal line layer away from the flexible base substrate and the bending cavity; and
 a coating layer in the bending portion and on a side of the overcoat layer away from the signal line layer.   
     
     
         15 . The display apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the cover window is on a side of the display portion away from the support layer;
 wherein an orthographic projection of the second back film on the cover window covers an orthographic projection of the first back film on the cover window by a third margin having a third width greater than zero along a direction from the support layer to the bending portion.   
     
     
         16 . The display apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second optically clear adhesive layer between the metal support layer and the second back film, and attaching the metal support layer and the second back film together; and   an Embo-type adhesive layer between the metal support layer and the metal plate, attaching the metal support layer and the metal plate together.   
     
     
         17 . The display apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein an orthographic projection of the metal support layer on the cover window covers an orthographic projection of the second optically clear adhesive layer on the cover window by a fourth margin having a fourth width greater than zero along a direction from the support layer to the bending portion. 
     
     
         18 . The display apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a touch control structure on a side of the display portion away from the second back film;
 a polarizer on a side of the touch control structure away from the display portion; and   an optically clear adhesive layer on a side of the polarizer away from the touch control structure;   wherein the cover window is on a side of the optically clear adhesive layer away from the polarizer; and   the optically clear adhesive layer attaches the cover window to the polarizer.   
     
     
         19 . A method of fabricating a display apparatus, comprising:
 forming a display panel comprising a display portion in a display region, a connecting portion, and a bending portion connecting the display portion and the connecting portion, wherein a flexible base substrate extends throughout the display portion, the bending portion and the connecting portion as a unitary structure that is substantially flat;   forming a back film covering a surface of the flexible base substrate;   removing a portion of the back film in a region having the bending portion, thereby forming a first back film covering a surface of the connecting portion and a second back film covering a surface of the display portion;   bending the bending portion so that the first back film is facing the second back film, thereby forming a bending cavity that is surrounded by the bending portion;   providing a support layer between the display portion and the connecting portion;   covering a surface of the display portion facing the connecting portion using a second back film;   providing a metal plate between the support layer and the display portion;   providing a cover window on a first side of the display portion; and   providing a metal support layer between the metal plate and the second back film;   wherein the support layer is provided to form a stress-reducing space having a first side wall comprising a first exposed surface of a first exposed portion of the first back film, a second side wall comprising a second exposed surface of a second exposed portion of the metal plate, and a third side wall comprising a first surface of the support layer; and   the stress-reducing space is open to the bending cavity;   wherein an orthographic projection of the connecting portion on the cover window is non-overlapping with an orthographic projection of the bending portion on the cover window;   the display apparatus comprises a stacked structure in the display region, the stacked structure comprising the first back film, the stress-reducing space, the support layer, the metal plate, the metal support layer, and the second back film;   in at least a first portion of the stacked structure, the first back film, the stress-reducing space, the metal plate, the metal support layer, and the second back film are present, and the support layer is absent;   in at least a second portion of the stacked structure, the first back film, the support layer, the metal plate, the metal support layer, and the second back film are present, and the stress-reducing space is absent;   the connecting portion and the display portion are on opposite sides of the stacked structure; and   the stress-reducing space is adjacent to the bending portion.   
     
     
         20 . A display apparatus, comprising:
 a display panel having a display portion in a display region, a connecting portion, and a bending portion;   a cover window on a first side of the display portion;   wherein the bending portion connects the display portion and the connecting portion, wherein the bending portion is bent so that the connecting portion is facing a second side of the display portion, forming a bending cavity that is surrounded by the bending portion, the second side being opposite to the first side;   a support layer between the display portion and the connecting portion;   a first back film covering a back surface of the connecting portion, the first back film on a side of the connecting portion closer to the display portion;   a first adhesive layer attaching the support layer to the first back film;   a metal plate between the support layer and the display portion;   a second adhesive layer attaching the support layer to the metal plate;   a second back film covering a surface of the display portion facing the connecting portion;   a metal support layer between the metal plate and the second back film;   a third adhesive layer between the metal support layer and the second back film, and attaching the metal support layer and the second back film together; and   a fourth adhesive layer between the metal support layer and the metal plate, attaching the metal support layer and the metal plate together;   wherein the display apparatus comprises a stress-reducing space having a first side wall comprising a first exposed surface of a first exposed portion of the first back film, a second side wall comprising a second exposed surface of a second exposed portion of the metal plate, and a third side wall comprising a first surface of the support layer;   the stress-reducing space is open to the bending cavity;   a second boundary between the bending portion and the display portion is along a second edge of the second back film;   the bending portion is absent of the second back film;   the cover window is on a side of the display portion away from the support layer; and   an orthographic projection of the second back film on the cover window covers an orthographic projection of the first back film on the cover window by a third margin having a third width greater than zero along a direction from the support layer to the bending portion.